Woolbright span closes on Monday

3 months of repairs scheduled for bridge

June 1, 2008|By Rachel Hatzipanagos Staff Writer

Police and emergency services to coastal communities will be diverted north during the three-month closure of the Woolbright Road bridge.

The bridge will undergo a $1.4 million steel rehabilitation project, said Palm Beach County Bridge Superintendent Barry Meve. The work will include repair of the sidewalks and metal handrails along the bridge shoulders.

"This is all due to normal wear and tear," Meve said. "The bridge is 41 years old, so it's lasted pretty well."

Both Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes contract some emergency services from Boynton Beach.

During the closure, which is scheduled to last from Monday until Sept. 9, those services will have to use the Ocean Avenue bridge, which is about a mile north of the Woolbright bridge.

"We knew it was going to happen; it was just a matter of [the project] not creating too much trouble," said Ocean Ridge Town Manager Ken Schenck.

Officials don't expect any delays in emergency response times.

"Boynton Beach Fire Rescue will continue to have unfettered access to our contract areas of Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes via the Ocean Avenue Bridge with two fire stations and a full complement of emergency response companies," Boynton Beach spokesman Stephen Lewis wrote in an e-mail.

Ocean Ridge negotiated with the county to make sure the construction noise won't disturb residents too much. The construction will last from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, Schenck said.

The traffic will affect all residents who live on the barrier islands. "I think it's unfortunate it will take so long," John Wootton, of Ocean Ridge, said. "But people who choose to live on the barrier islands have to put up with these inconveniences."

Rachel Hatzipanagos can be reached at rhatzipanagos @sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6621.